• Charles Nelson Kabwende founded Africa Tech Invest to connect investors with the Congolese startup ecosystem.

• The initiative focuses on public sector modernization and the digital sovereignty of African states.

• Kabwende holds a dual role as a private entrepreneur and the CISO for the DRC’s tax authority.

Charles Nelson Kabwende operates as an entrepreneur and investor from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He founded Africa Tech Invest as a dedicated forum for technological innovation and investment on the continent.

Africa Tech Invest established itself as a major event for technology promotion following its inception in 2022. The organization emphasizes the modernization of the public sector. It defends the idea that technology improves public services structurally. The platform also supports entrepreneurship and strengthens the digital sovereignty of African states.

The organizers host the event in Kinshasa at either the Cultural Centre or the Financial Centre. The forum spans one day. It features conferences, executive panels, and keynotes. The schedule includes African startup contests, hackathons, and cybersecurity workshops such as "Capture the Flag" challenges. The Cultural Centre of Kinshasa hosted the 2025 edition on June 25.

Africa Tech Invest functions as a strategic meeting point for the Congolese startup ecosystem. The fair connects entrepreneurs, investors, and public decision-makers. Additionally, the organizers manage a startup competition that values African technological solutions within edtech and artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to surface projects that attract regional and international investment dynamics.

Charles Nelson Kabwende currently serves as the President of ANEMONE. This company manages digital identity for enterprises. He also directs information systems security at the General Directorate of Taxes of the DRC.

He graduated from the Beihang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He obtained a bachelor's degree in electronic and computer engineering there in 2016. He also holds a master's degree in business informatics from Riga Technical University in Latvia, which he received in 2021.

His professional path led him to Premise Data in Kinshasa in 2018. He worked there as a country support specialist. He became a project manager at Kelony in 2019. This organization specializes in artificial intelligence. He subsequently served as a consultant in IT, cybersecurity, and blockchain at World Elite Consulting between 2021 and 2022.

This article was initally published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason, Quenum